Chapter 13: Buying Cheap
Even in the world outside the Tower, despite smartphones existing, price competition is fierce.
That was basically screaming, “I’m a sucker.”
Getting a quote at the very first shop you walk into and buying it on the spot is the act of a total fool.
Walking up and buying unlabelled armor without knowing the market rate?
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
Which meant the merchants here constantly dealt with rookies passing through.
A special commercial district guaranteed to be provided right before facing the Floor 10 Boss.
Starting from its very name: Starting Street.
‘This is a unique commercial district.’
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
That kind of goodwill doesn’t exist.
When dealing with kids who haven’t even properly cleared a boss yet, is it possible to treat them purely with unconditional goodwill and warmth?
I think that’s completely absurd.
‘Absolutely not.’
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
A merchant’s character comes straight from their wallet.
In fact, if they were well-off, they wouldn’t have clicked their tongues at the street vendors in the first place.
Because merchants never make a deal at a loss.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
This place was a battlefield of deceit.
‘Not a single one of them can be trusted.’
That’s how I knew.
‘Common sense-wise, a Relic costs around 180 Gold… yet a set of armor with practically zero special effects costs 52 Gold?’
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
There was no way to see that as anything other than fleecing a newbie.
Paying 52 of those gold coins for a set of Starting Street armor?
In the first place, ‘Gold’ literally meant gold coins.
That made zero sense.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“What?! galaxy Lost our minds? autumn You said everything you wanted to say?!”
“Hey! arena You crazy bastards! orbit We all know the quality of the armor you sell! acquire How dare you charge over 20 Gold?! adjust Have you lost your minds?!”
“No, that’s still expensive! 25 Gold is the right price!”
“32 Gold!!!”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“It’s true! shadow Does that even make sense! athlete How can you sell at that price!”
“….”
Watching it get slashed by over 50% in an instant left me speechless.
That was why I had just belted out the price right in the middle of the street.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
No matter how much of a dog-eat-dog world this was, this crossed the line.
When I looked at the blacksmith with eyes demanding an explanation, he turned his head away.
And even while I was thinking that, All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“I mean! alert How much decent iron can you even use on Starting Street! acoustic Did you forget why you’re on Starting Street in the first place?!”
the price had already dropped to 20% of what I had originally been about to pay.
“Listening to you guys, I just can’t take it anymore! alert Hey, you rotten bastards! august Charging anything over 10 Gold means you have no conscience!”
“There’s a limit to ripping off beginners! adapt Huh?!”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“5 Gold! acid For 5 Gold, we’ve got a spare club in our shop, right? autumn I’ll throw that in! adopt Way sturdier and better than the club you’re using!”
“Taking just 5 Gold would’ve been plenty!”
I couldn’t even fathom how massively I would have been played for a fool if I had happily bought it right at the start.
The miracle of 52 Gold turning into 5 Gold.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“Don’t you need oil to apply to your armor too? auction We can give you oil! acquire Leather oil and iron oil separately!!!”
Now that the price seemed roughly settled at 5 Gold, a fierce competition of freebies began.
“You think a club is good just because it’s sturdy? arch We wrap the grip separately too! avalanche And we’ve got ones with great balance! alien Come to our shop!”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
the price itself stopped dropping while extra items kept piling on.
The more I stood quietly and listened,
“Does it end with just giving oil? silence You need a cloth to apply it with! amber We have cloths too! alien We’ll give you the cloth as well!”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
In other words, we were approaching the absolute limit.
‘I need to rein in my own greed to a reasonable degree too.’
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
They were surely calculating their profit margins carefully, doing whatever it took to squeeze out even a tiny profit.
These merchants weren’t throwing in freebies so passionately because they were stupid.
In that case, I needed to let the other side make a fair margin too.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“Don’t go.”
So, intending to wrap up a reasonable deal, the exact moment I started walking toward the shop offering the oil cloth—
Otherwise, the deal itself might fall through entirely.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
The exact face of someone trying to hold back a partner who just announced the end of a long-term relationship.
Judging purely by his eyes, he looked like an ex-lover of three years.
The middle-aged blacksmith who had made the first offer was staring at me with a pitiful expression.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“I’ll treat you better!”
Seeing a taciturn, heavily bearded middle-aged man send me such a desperate, soulful gaze made a wave of disgust wash over me.
Where was all this when this guy was trying to scam me just moments ago?
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“I’ll do it for 5 Gold, same as them.”
“You said it was 52 Gold.”
“Plenty of places are offering freebies, though.”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“How exactly are you going to treat me better?”
“I can give you the exact same thing—no, actually, I can give you something even better!”
“Straps! artist I’ll give you straps! apron If the straps on your armor or shield snap, I can give you spare straps to use!”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
The instant I heard the word ‘straps,’ I glanced around.
Apparently unable to match that offer, all the other merchants clicked their tongues and began shutting their shop windows.
My thoughts were settled.
‘Still, seeing how nobody claimed their actual gear was higher quality, it means this guy’s craftsmanship is either the best here or on par with the rest.’
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“Yes, understood.”
“G-good! wizard Though it’ll take a bit of time. amber So could I get maybe 3 Gold as a down payment? airport I’ll have everything fitted within two hours!”
“Let’s do it.”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
‘Subtracting 5 Gold from 520 Gold leaves me with around 515 Gold.’
With the armor sorted out for now,
now it was time to do some proper Relic shopping with this.
Deal closed.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
Unlike the weapon and armor shops sprawling down the street,
there was only a single Relic shop, and its scale was on a completely different level.
+++++
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
Not only was it massive, it boasted a level of cleanliness worlds apart from its surroundings.
Like looking at a newly built five-story villa?
“Huh.”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
And most importantly,
“Yes, thank you.”
“Welcome to Old Touch. album Feel free to browse at your leisure, and please let me know if there is any item you wish to purchase.”
the items actually had price tags on them. Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“Are there only three Relics?”
An unexpected problem popped up, however.
“Yes. absorb Unfortunately, as a customer at your current rank, you may only view three.”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
Perhaps because I was a lowest-floor Climber, the number of Relics visible to me was extremely limited.
“Ah.”
Wait—should I be grateful there were even three?
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“As far as I know, this building has up to a fifth floor, so which floor am I allowed to go up to?”
“Care to try?”
“Up to the first floor. meadow In other words, at your current standing, you may only utilize this exact floor.”
“And if I try to go upstairs anyway?”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
The moment I tossed out a casual probe, the clerk looking at me took a single step forward.
the instant she took that one step, the atmosphere shifted completely.
She was still smiling brightly, showing off her beauty in an outfit reminiscent of a maid uniform, yet
“Just kidding.”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“Haha, I was only joking as well, dear customer!”
You definitely weren’t joking.
“Are you looking for cards?”
Swallowing those words, I checked to see what else was available besides Relics.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
My first impression of the Relic shop—Old Touch—was that it felt like a TCG card shop.
“Yes, I’m looking for cards and potions.”
“Cards are over in this section, and potions can be checked right at the counter.”
“Thank you.”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
Putting off browsing the Relics for later,
‘Should I check the cards first?’
There were only three Relics on sale, and glancing over at the counter, only about three potions as well.
A card shop with an extremely tiny inventory, that is.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
I walked in the direction the clerk had pointed out in order to bolster my defensive options.
The moment I arrived, I was baffled.
“Huh?”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“Pardon? athlete No, we sell plenty of cards. altitude Our shop displays a lineup of roughly five at a time. acid Is there some sort of problem?”
I couldn’t see any cards.
“Uh… no, never mind.”
“Do you happen not to sell cards separately?”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
It was clearly the display spot where cards were supposed to be, yet no cards appeared.
Why couldn’t I buy cards in a deck-building roguelike game?
‘Because my rank is too low? altitude Or can’t I see them because I don’t have enough money?’
‘Why?’
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
Rank had nothing to do with cards, and the same went for money.
Several possibilities flashed through my head, yet none of them made sense.
If anything, managing your money was the core strategic element of games like this. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.
If you didn’t have enough gold, you couldn’t buy good cards.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
‘Yet it won’t even show them to me?’
Under that ironclad law, Shops always showed you the cards first.
Only three suspects came to mind.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
Could those two things be interfering with my ability to purchase cards?
‘The message saying the Tower recognized my existence… and the fact that the Old Gods turned their gaze on me right after I killed Sleepy Bear.’
If not that, it could also be the class issue I had suspected right from the very beginning.
Originally, deck-building roguelike games worked by picking a character archetype and drafting cards tailored to that concept.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
‘What drops from Elites… could be purely random, or maybe it’s the process of shaping my archetype.’
Since I currently had zero archetype, maybe no class-specific cards were showing up.
Right as I turned around with those thoughts running through my head—
Honestly, I had no idea.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
Whoosh!
[ The Old God – Setanag gazes upon you. ]
In a split second, it felt as though someone had wrapped their arms around me from behind.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
As if a wave of drowsiness had washed over me, my mind drifted off to some distant void for a fraction of a second before snapping right back into place.
“…?!”
If I had to compare it to anything, it felt like drifting off to sleep.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
Sitting there was a single card, radiating presence as if it had been there from the very beginning.
Startled, I spun around to look behind me.
What made it unmistakably different from any normal card, however,
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
A card frame filled with a sprawling night sky, or rather, deep outer space.
was the card’s background itself.
“Space…?”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
And on top of that, the card was covered in a chaotic scrawl of illegible characters.
Wondering what on earth this thing was, I stared intently at the card for a long moment.
You could tell at a single glance that something was deeply wrong with it.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
[ Comforting Veil : Provides Comforting Veil. / Cost 3 / Passive ]
The letters began writhing as if alive, morphing until they became readable.
Squirm, squirm.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
[ Immediately grants 19 Block upon use. ]
[ Grants the buff ‘Comforting Veil’. ]
[ Next turn, draw 2 cards and gain 2 additional Cost. ]
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
There was no denying it was an extraordinarily powerful card.
“…”
[ Cannot be upgraded. ]
[ While under the effect of Comforting Veil, your mind remains in a state of tranquility. ]
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
‘Maybe because of its sheer impact, though, I can’t just happily take it without hesitation.’
judging purely by card performance, it was undeniably top-tier.
Plus, there wasn’t even a price listed on it.
From securing a rock-solid defensive plan to providing extra draw and energy on the following turn,
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“…?”
Tremble, tremble, tremble. This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.
Right as I was agonizing over that decision—
‘Should I buy this or not?’
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
Thud.
To be precise, it wasn’t just watching my mood—it felt like they were waiting to see what choice I would make.
I felt every single person in the shop watching my reaction nervously.
Puzzled, I locked eyes with the clerk.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“I-it’s free! palette There’s no price! echo Please feel free to take it right away!”
As if she had been waiting for that exact moment, she dropped flat onto the floor and kowtowed until her forehead hit the ground.
People act this subservient over a single card?
‘What on earth is going on here?’
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
No, this wasn’t even subservience—this was absolute submission.
‘Still, leaving it out of my deck isn’t an option when I’m desperately short on defensive tools right now.’
Besides, honestly speaking, when a card with a special backstory is sitting right in front of your eyes, how could you hold back? Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.
Submission born from overwhelming terror.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
[ The Old God – Setanag gives you a slight nod. ]
[ Added Comforting Veil to your deck. ]
As a deck-building roguelike addict, passing this up was simply impossible.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
“I’ll put this great card to good use.”
—offering a polite word of thanks, I immediately turned toward the Relics.
Old Gods or whatever, I still didn’t get what was going on, so—
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
[ Relic – Apple ]
[ 170 Gold ]
[ Apple : Good for your health. academy Max HP +7 ]
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
[ 180 Gold ]
[ Relic – Shoddy Gun ]
[ Iron Cog : Grants 10 Block at the start of combat ]
[ Relic – Iron Cog ]
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
[ Shoddy Gun : A poorly crafted gun. apple Requires additional parts to function properly. ]
“….”
[ 400 Gold ]
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
Everything here was probably generated randomly anyway.
I had plenty I wanted to say, though I swallowed all of it.
Accepting it as fate and rolling with it was the top priority.
What is with this Relic lineup?
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
Besides, what I was going to buy had already been decided from the start.
“For the Shoddy Gun at 400 Gold, one Energy Potion at 60 Gold, and card removal at 50 Gold, your total comes to 510 Gold.”
When a Relic with an obvious hidden backstory appears before your eyes,
“I’ll take this, one Energy Potion, and a card removal please.”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
you have no choice but to empty your entire wallet and buy it.
‘Wait—why is card removal only 50 Gold? avalanche Do normal Shops and special Shops count removal price increases separately?’
Besides, normally I wouldn’t have had enough gold to afford a Relic like this anyway.
Skipping an event like this was completely out of the question.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“Thank you.”
After I added the Old God’s card to my deck, the clerks couldn’t bring themselves to meet my eyes until the very end.
Now that was a sweet bonus.
‘Seriously, I don’t get it.’
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
With that, my deck now stood at four Strikes and four Defends.
‘I’ll just keep trimming them down like this.’
For the record, the card I removed this time was one Defend.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“Thank you.”
With that thought, I headed back toward the blacksmith’s shop to pick up my armor.
“All the fine adjustments are done, so go ahead and try it on.”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
“A favor?”
“…Hmm, I feel bad bringing this up right after trying to scam you earlier, but could I ask you a favor?”
Right as that thought crossed my mind—
The armor fittings were finished—now all that was left was putting it on and heading up to face the Boss.
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
Out of nowhere, the blacksmith-cum-owner began radiating the unmistakable aura of a quest.
And it just happened to be the exact kind of quest I wanted most right now.
“Yeah, lately an… Elite monster has been roaming around nearby, you see.”
Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
×××
Imma broke as hell so *cough* *cough* *wink*, in exchange I keep all the chs free what do ya say? :3
Nanashi: Thank you for reading!
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Translation of Climbing Is Too Easy for a Card Game Addict - Chapter 13: Buying Cheap by Indra Translations.
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